Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship

We are a dedicated institute for student entrepreneurs across campus and beyond. We aim to maximize your success by fostering your entrepreneurial mindset, promote inter-disciplinary collaboration and provide support for the creation and development of your new ventures. Jumpstart your ideas and get involved today!

Tune in for excitement!

Passion. Potential. Pitches. Don't miss any of the 2025 New Venture Challenge excitement.

Tune in Friday, April 11 at 1 p.m. for great ideas and fierce competition. Then, join the judges, mentors, spectators and teams as they see who is going home with thousands of dollars in venture financing. The awards broadcast begins at 6:30 p.m. and one team will walk away as the overall best venture.

2025 NVC Competition Live Stream

2025 NVC Awards Live Stream

Start your entrepreneurial journey

Central Michigan University’s College of Business Administration is the home of the Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship and the first Department of Entrepreneurship in the state of Michigan. We are a student-centric hub where experiential, curricular, and external entrepreneurial opportunities intersect.

Our mission is to maximize student success by fostering a campus-wide entrepreneurial mindset that promotes inter-disciplinary collaboration and the creation of new ventures.

We aim to create innovative programming, boost cross-campus and ecosystem collaboration and provide a comprehensive mentoring program.

Our institute provides extracurricular opportunities and is open to all undergraduate and graduate CMU students.

Student opportunities

Meet experienced alumni, faculty, entrepreneurs, investors, and other business and political leaders.
Learn practical skills, innovative thinking, and connect with mentors and entrepreneurial resources.
Attend skill-building workshops and compete in pitch competitions and Hackathons.
Take part in special scholarship programs and travel experiences.
Pitch your venture at our signature New Venture Challenge event and compete for up to $20,000 in cash awards.

Find your path

Are you interested in becoming an entrepreneur?

Every journey is unique. Explore the opportunities that interest you.

A student standing with a faculty member holding big winning checks from the New Venture Challenge 2024.

Start up

Build up your venture idea.

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A student smiling and standing in front of his venture display at the 2024 New Venture Challenge.

Family business

Explore the Alternative Entrepreneurial Pathways category at NVC.

Learn more

A close-up of the Prusa i3 MK3 printer in the entrepreneurship makerspace, the IDEA Den in Grawn Hall 166.

Product and prototype design

Create and patent your ideas.

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Innovation

Explore your ideas and build your skills.

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Davies to present trustees with year-end report

by Sanjay Gupta

Central Michigan University’s Board of Trustees meets Thursday starting at 9 a.m. in the President's Conference Room of the Bovee University Center.

Central Michigan University President Bob Davies will present his 2018-19 year-end report to the Board of Trustees when it meets Thursday starting at 9 a.m. in the President's Conference Room of the Bovee University Center.

The presentation also will include a discussion on the 2019-20 university strategies and initiatives.

Also on the agenda for consideration is a new Culinary Nutrition Center in Wightman Hall. The center, a $1.15 million renovation to existing facilities, would provide a modern learning environment for the university's nutrition and dietetics program, housed within The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions.

Trustees also will consider approval of more than 1,000 August graduates and will hear a presentation from Plante Moran, the university's external audit firm, regarding CMU's 2018-19 financial statements.

In addition, the following committee meetings will be open to the university community and the general public on Wednesday in the President's Conference Room. Agenda highlights include:

Enterprise Risk Ad Hoc – 1 to 1:50 p.m. — An annual report of overall risks will be presented by Barrie Wilkes, vice president for finance and administrative services, and Provost Mary C. Schutten. Trustees also will discuss continuity of information technology, business and facilities operations, and receive an update on emergency management from Jonathan Webb, associate vice president for facilities management.
Academic and Student Affairs – 2 to 3 p.m. — An update on enrollment will be provided by Tony Voisin, interim vice president for enrollment and student services. Trustees also will discuss strategic envisioning for 2030 and receive a report from Schutten.
Finance and Facilities – 3:05 to 4:05 p.m. — Updates on campus improvements and summer projects will be presented by Webb. Wilkes also will discuss the budgeting and business model as it relates to strategic envisioning. The committee also will receive an update from NEPC, the university's investment consultants.
Trustees-Faculty Liaison – 4:10 to 5 p.m. — History faculty member Jonathan Truitt and earth and atmospheric sciences faculty member Daria Kluver will present on games and learning at CMU.
Trustees-Student Liaison – 5:10 to 6 p.m. — Student Government Association President Jake Hendricks, Madison Mariles from Program Board and Mary St. John, director of the Residence Hall Assembly, will update trustees on their fall semester efforts. A presentation on Central Michigan Life also will be given by Dylan Goetz, the paper's editor-in-chief.

Agendas for the September meetings and a schedule of committee meetings are available on the Board of Trustees' website.